Once again in 2019, the Roanoke Arts Commission, Ride Solutions, and Valley Metro will sponsor the Writer By Bus Program. A writer or writers, selected through a competitive process by a panel of Arts Commission and community members, will be paid a $1,000 honorarium to create a unique work of literature while riding different bus routes in the city.
The work may be any genre including short stories, poetry, essays, plays, etc. and may also be multimedia and include art, music, or photography. The application process for the Writer By Bus Program is now open, and the application may downloaded by clicking here. The deadline to apply is Dec. 17.
The Writer By Bus Program is an effort to tell the story of public transportation’s ability to connect people to their community and to the services they need including employment, medical, and other resources. Public transportation also helps keep cars off the road, which means everyone else can get where they’re going a little faster.
To view the work of the 2018 writer on the bus, Tim Thornton, click here. You can also hear Mr. Thornton read from his new Chap Book on Tuesday, Oct. 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Raleigh Court Branch Library.
For more information about the Writer By Bus Program, contact Susan Jennings, the city’s Arts and Culture Coordinator, at 853-5652 or email her at [email protected].